Taming the Protagonist

Chapter 50: Subtle and Gentle Guidance, Part Two

In truth, the current situation had somewhat deviated from Anselm’s original plan.

He hadn’t initially intended to play this… slightly flirtatious little game with Hitana, which felt a bit like kids playing house.

But before he realized it, the words had already left his mouth.

…Still, it was harmless.

Occasionally enjoying Hitana in this state was quite entertaining.

“So, the first question is yours,” Anselm displayed his gentlemanly demeanor. “Any question is fine.”

Hitana fell silent for a moment before asking with utmost caution: “Those two bastards, were they sent by you?”

“No,” Anselm answered without hesitation. “Didn’t you guess their identities?”

“…How could I guess that? Who’d reveal their identity to a stranger thief or bandit?” Hitana grumbled, clutching her chest.

She still felt awful, her limbs weak and nearly immobile, with occasional jolts of pain.

Thankfully, she could still speak.

“They did mumble something about… revolutionaries, the old world, or whatever. It felt like a cult.”

Anselm looked at her with some amusement: “Even now, you don’t know who they were?”

“‘Liberating the Empire from the tyranny of noble blood and the Flame-Feasting Royalty.’”

He gently stroked Hitana’s soft short hair, speaking in a mocking tone she couldn’t yet comprehend:

“They’re from the Revolutionary Army, [New World].”

“…The Revolutionary Army.”

Hitana froze, struggling to lift her sore neck to meet Anselm’s gaze, forgetting her discomfort and embarrassment: “You’re saying they’re… the Revolutionary Army?”

“Who else?” Anselm shrugged. “Who else has the skill, audacity, and motive to sneak into the Chishuang family’s mansion?”

“Right…” Hitana murmured to herself. “They hate nobles too. I see. But… the Revolutionary Army, they’re like that?”

Having heard of them and admired their bold stance, Hitana’s eyes grew cold: “They dare call nobles disgusting?”

Many of Hitana’s troubles stemmed from her immature, black-and-white thinking.

Because of this, Anselm’s taming of her had been exceptionally smooth.

Anselm merely smiled without comment.

He had no obligation to defend the Revolutionary Army, nor did he plan to correct Hitana’s mindset just yet.

The girl sighed, a profound sense of disillusionment making her weary and sad.

She’d always felt an instinctive kinship with those brave enough to stand against vile nobles, but she hadn’t expected the Revolutionary Army, their supposed leader… to be so deplorable.

“Well, aren’t you going to check if I’m lying?” Anselm asked seriously.

“…No, no need.” Hitana’s eyes darted. “I trust you wouldn’t lie, Hydra. How about this: I won’t check you, you don’t check me. Deal?”

“That’d make it boring,” the serpent teasing the young wolf said with a bored expression. “I’ll just sleep then.”

“Guh!”

Hitana let out a strange, stifled groan from her throat.

Gritting her teeth, she reluctantly pressed her ear to Anselm’s chest.

Thump—

The heartbeat was steady and strong, but for a moment, Hitana’s focus wasn’t on it.

Hy-Hydra’s this sturdy? And so warm… why is he so warm?

Hitana rarely saw Anselm in just a shirt, but she had some impression of his physique.

The youth’s body was more robust than she’d imagined, with distinct, well-defined muscles that weren’t overly bulky.

Their size and lines were aesthetically perfect, neither bloated nor excessive.

Now, pressed against his chest, Hitana realized that the slightly broad chest was far sturdier and stronger than she’d thought.

Though separated by a thin shirt, the heat radiated solidly to her face.

“Hiss…”

For some reason, the young wolf’s breathing quickened slightly.

She couldn’t recall the last time she’d been held by a man.

Since her father’s injury and bedridden state, she hadn’t experienced this calming,

encompassing comfort, as if shielded from all the world’s dangers and worries.

“Hitana,” Anselm’s voice grew slightly hoarse. “Haven’t you heard it yet?”

“Eek!”

The girl let out a short, sharp yelp.

Her aching, unresponsive hand miraculously lifted, pushing against Anselm’s chest, but the moment she did, the pain made her want to writhe on the bed.

Anselm looked at the young wolf, curled in the blanket with only half her face visible, hissing in pain.

The wild desire stirred by her closeness ebbed slightly.

“Is there a bug in my arms?” he couldn’t help but laugh, gently pulling her by the waist.

“…Y-you, don’t… Can we keep some distance, Hydra?”

Hitana resisted weakly, still hissing in pain.

No… no, no, no, that feeling just now was too weird!

No, it’s weird now!

I came here to expose Hydra’s hypocrisy—why am I stripped and lying in bed, being held by him?

She squirmed like a wriggling kitten, her smooth, taut skin brushing against Anselm multiple times.

The soft, elastic sensation was intoxicating, even for Anselm, who found it hard to resist.

“Hitana… if you keep moving,” Anselm warned, “I can’t guarantee what I’ll do next.”

“…”

Already exhausted and in pain, Hitana immediately stilled, stiffly leaning into Anselm’s arms.

…So hot, is Hydra a furnace? Why is he so warm?

Carefully nestled in his arms, her back against his chest, the scorching heat seared her skin through the thin shirt, making the bare little lamb tremble slightly.

An unfamiliar, incomprehensible emotion surged with that burning warmth.

Anselm placed his hand on Hitana’s soft abdomen, feeling the firm elasticity of her toned muscles beneath the tender skin.

He took a deep breath, calming his emotions: “My turn.”

“…” Hitana’s body shuddered, but she didn’t speak.

She didn’t know what Anselm would ask.

If he asked why she snuck here at night, what could she say?

“Hitana,” Anselm asked with a smile, “what’s in your clothes’ pocket?”

The girl froze for two seconds, then shrank her neck, her voice tiny with guilt and embarrassment: “Shad-shadow Crystal… maybe, or maybe not, I don’t know.”

“Hmm…”

Anselm let out a meaningful hum: “Is that so? Let me check your heartbeat first.”

“Hey! You—”

Giving the girl no chance to resist, Anselm pinched her soft underarm, gently lifting her and pressing his ear to the soft mound bound by her chest wrap.

The moment he leaned in, a sweet, rich fragrance wafted into Anselm’s nose—the unique, delicate scent of the girl, now mingled with the lingering aroma of incense from recent days, creating an even more alluring sweetness.

“…Hitana, you’re lying.” Anselm’s lips curved slightly.

“I’m not!” Hitana struggled to lift her hand, placing it on Anselm’s head, trying with all her might to push him away.

But her weak, soft hands on his face felt more like a gentle caress.

“Who—who asked you to do this? Anyone’s heart would race like this!”

“Mine wouldn’t.”

“You’re not human!”

Anselm lingered on that captivating sensation.

In truth, pressed against Hitana’s chest, he felt no lascivious thoughts.

The young Hydra had spent countless nights embracing companions, but none gave him the same feeling as Hitana.

—A light, joyful ease, untainted by extraneous emotions, gentle and serene.

“Alright, your turn.”

Compared to Hitana, who’d dazedly pressed against his chest, Anselm was far more composed and proper, not lingering on her chest.

Hitana’s flushed face was pressed against her chest as she tried to make her glare at Anselm fierce: “You… just wait… after I ask this question… I’ll definitely ask one you can’t answer!”

Anselm only looked at her with a silent smile.

“…Hmph.” Hitana let out a breath.

Utterly exhausted, she couldn’t even rub her cheeks.

Forcing herself to push aside the chaotic thoughts in her mind, she kept staring at Anselm.

“Since… since they weren’t your people? How did you know I was here? You must have been watching me the whole time, right?”

“Because your sister told me about your odd behavior.”

Anselm sighed: “She was worried about you, Hitana. Did you think she wouldn’t notice you sneaking out in the middle of the night?”

Mar… Marina!!!

Hitana screamed internally. If it weren’t for her sister, she wouldn’t be in this mess!

…No, wait, without Marina, things might have been even worse. Ughhh… it’s all this guy Hydra’s fault!

But no matter how her emotions churned, no matter how angry or helpless she felt, Hitana, having received her answer, had to perform the “verification” once again.

This time, she took deep breaths, calming herself completely, sinking into a state of serene emptiness before pressing her ear to his chest.

And then… she heard footsteps from outside.

“!!!”

Hitana was so startled she practically plastered herself against Anselm.

In this situation, it wouldn’t matter if Anselm was caught, but if she was seen… it’d be, it’d be all over!

“Scared?” Anselm, holding her waist, chuckled softly.

“You… you’re definitely not scared!”

The girl, curled in Anselm’s arms, whispered furiously: “I’m the one whose reputation would be ruined!”

“I’m telling you, if you let this happen…”

In the darkness, she bared her sharp, gleaming teeth: “I’ll take Marina and leave tomorrow! Ten years… no, five years… no, three! In three years, I’ll make you pay! Either kill me now!”

Anselm looked down at the young wolf’s furious expression, chuckling as he ruffled her hair: “I won’t.”

“…Really?” Hitana looked up at him skeptically, her raised face looking delicate and adorable, devoid of her usual ferocity. “That’s not what you said earlier.”

“Just a tactic to scare you into playing the game.”

Anselm couldn’t help but laugh, lowering his head to meet her gaze.

“Hitana, do you really think I’d let anyone other than me see you like this?”

The girl froze for a few seconds before swinging her weak fists with all her might, pounding Anselm’s chest.

“Get lost! Go die! You don’t think I… I’d fall for that, do you? That’s disgusting! Making your perversion sound so noble! I’ll kill you! Beat you into an idiot!”

In her incoherent rage, Hitana shouted without caring about her volume, but after a few swings, her little wolf fists faltered, and she started panting heavily, “Huff… huff…”

Anselm raised an eyebrow, suddenly throwing off the blanket and standing, pulling Hitana out from under it.

The girl, flailing weakly for a moment before running out of strength, panicked: “Hydra, what are you doing! You said you wouldn’t let anyone see!”

“You said you didn’t buy my act.” Amid the increasingly close footsteps, Anselm looked innocent.

“Since you don’t, I guess I’ll give up.”

Hitana wanted nothing more than to bite Anselm to death, but with the situation growing dire, how could she care about that?

She clung to him like a koala, legs wrapping tightly around his waist, as if trying to burrow into his body: “I buy it… I'll buy it, okay! Hydra, you… don’t do this! Let me hide!”

Bang!

Two burly guards in iron armor burst through the door: “Which bastard dares break into

Chishuang Mansion, I’ll make you, you…”

“This book is rather interesting… hm? Gentlemen, what’s the matter?”

By the moonlit window, a handsome golden-haired youth sat in a soft chair, flipping through a book with one hand.

A very large wolf cloak draped over him like a blanket.